Systems management typically refers to enterprise-wide administration of distributed systems (e.g., computer systems). Some example tasks that may be performed via systems management include but are not limited to anti-manipulation management, anti-virus and anti-malware management, security management, storage management, capacity monitoring, server availability monitoring and metrics, monitoring of user activities, network capacity and utilization monitoring, hardware inventory, and software inventory and installation.
Systems management often includes a variety of functional components, including but not limited to data center infrastructure management, help desk management, network management, security information and event management, and configuration management. Configuration management typically handles changes in a system systematically to maintain integrity of the system. Such changes may be implemented for beneficial purposes, including but not limited to revising capability of the system; increasing performance, reliability, and/or maintainability of the system; extending life of the system; reducing cost, risk, and/or liability of the system; and correcting defect(s) of the system.
As new configuration management solutions are made available, some users may be hesitant to convert from their traditional configuration management solutions to the new configuration management solutions. For example, the users may have IT systems, organizational structures, and processes that have been developed over many years, and converting from the traditional configuration management solutions to the new configuration management solutions may consume substantial resources. In another example, it may take some time for an entrenched, traditional culture of some users to evolve sufficiently to embrace the new configuration management solutions.